


Halloween Treat

by Clavally



Category: Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-10-31
Updated: 2011-10-31
Packaged: 2017-10-25 03:18:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 935
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/271149
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Clavally/pseuds/Clavally
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A/U, season 4. Buffy and Giles, late-night bonding after a long night's slaying.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Halloween Treat

**Author's Note:**

> This was written as a Halloween treat for Antennapedia. Hope you enjoy it!

Giles was covered in dirt and gore from the night's slaying. A pantenare demon, a pesky one that didn't conveniently turn to dust when slain, had kept them busy all night tracking, then killing and burying it.  
He turned the key in his lock and Buffy pushed in ahead of him.

The clock showed it was after 2 in the morning. Technically it was Halloween.

“Yuck! Giles, I need to borrow your shower or I'll have Pantera demon in my hair until next Tuesday.” said Buffy. She stood just inside the door making a face as she pulled a stingy mess off her shoulder.

She looked small and tired, so Giles bit back the sarcastic reply about her usurping his place as king of his castle and simply said, “Do you know where the towels are?”

“Yup, down the hall in the cupboard on the right.” She hurried down the hall and sound of the bathroom door closing echoed into the living room.

“Right then.” He carefully removed his shoes and put them on a pile of newspapers he left by the door for just this sort of occasion. Demon blood was notoriously hard to get out of anything, even ceramic tiles. He took off his cable knit sweater and laid it over the shoes.

He decided they both needed a relaxing cup of tea and something substantial to eat. In the kitchen he scrubbed the last remnants of goo from his person and took out a cutting board and rosemary and sea salt focaccia. From the fridge he grabbed a hunk of hard salami, cheese, and peppers. He drizzled oil and vinegar on the bread, layered the meat, cheese and peppers on it and put it in the over for 5 minutes until the bread was warm and slightly toasty and the cheese was perfectly melted.

“Something smells yummy.”

Giles started and turned to look at Buffy and swallowed. Hard.

He wasn't quite sure what he thought she'd do for clothes after her shower – obviously, she wasn't going to put her ruined clothes back on – but what she had come up with! She'd seen fit to liberate one of his pinstripe Oxford shirts and, as far as he could tell, that was all she was wearing. She looked so pure and innocent standing in the hall in her bare feet and slightly mussed, damp hair. His heart skipped several beats.

“Yes, well, I thought you might be hungry and you need the calories after the hard night you had.” He said and looked away. He busied himself with finding plates and cutting the sandwich into two halves, one for each of them. “I had thought to make us tea, but perhaps you'd like something stronger? I have hard cider and scotch and possibly some beer left?” He said.

“Cider sounds good.” She said and picked up her plate before flopping down on the couch.

Giles grabbed a couple bottles and joined her. They ate in silence, staring into the fire and letting the sounds of the hissing and crackling logs soothe them.

When they finished eating, He cleared away their plates and empty bottles and opened two more for them. Neither of them mentioned her ruined clothes or how she might get home without anything to wear. He hoped that meant she might stay the night. Or rather, the rest of the morning since it was nearing 3 o'clock.  
He studied her face and the way she seemed transfixed by the flames.

“Are you quite alright?” he asked her.

She blinked and turned to hold his gaze with an odd look in her eyes that made his stomach flip.

“Sure, Giles,” she said, “You know me, I'm peachy and rosy. I'm all those fun colors.”

“Of course.”

She yawned, stretched and crawled next to him to lay her head against his shoulder. He kept very still, while fighting the urge to wrap both arms around her and keep her next to him as long as possible. He reminded himself not to look too far into her actions. She possibly didn't know quite the effect she had on him.

“Are you doing anything particularly entertaining this evening with your friends?” He asked her, hoping to take his own mind off the situation.

“I dunno. There's some party at a frat house, but I'm not sure I'm in party-Buffy mode.”

“Is it because of that boy?”

“I don't know, maybe.” She shrugged. Her mood's been down for awhile and it bothered him. He missed her smile and easy laughter.

“You could always come here,” he said,”Help me pass out candy to all the monsters and ghouls. And, afterward, we could always do some research and see if we can find a spell to turn him into a frog or some such.”

That earned him a short laugh, which relieved him a bit.

“Giles? Why are you so good to me?” Buffy asked.

He wasn't sure if it was the late hour or the exhaustion or the alcohol, but he said, “Well, I suppose it's because I love you.”

He waited for her to stiffen or pull away, but she merely said, “Oh. I love you, too.”

Giles gave in, then, and wrapped his arms around her. He rested his chin on top of her head and he could smell the herbs of his own soap in her hair and on her skin. At some point they would have to talk and figure out what they both meant by those words, but it could wait.

He kissed the top of her head and held her close.


End file.
